Caffeine Has Different Effects on Boys and Girls After Puberty

With the rise in the consumption in caffeinated beverages, Jennifer Temple of the University of Buffalo thought it would be appropriate to document differences among boys and girls following caffeine intake.

So little research has been conducted on caffeine's effect on children and adolescents, and it's troubling because caffeine consumption among this demographic is the highest it's ever been. As an associate professor in the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Dr. Temple decided to dive into the topic.

The study, "Cardiovascular Responses to Caffeine by Gender and Pubertal Stage," was published on Monday in the journal Pediatrics. Dr. Temple found that boys and girls experience different heart rate and blood pressure changes following caffeine consumption. Girls also experience more effects during their menstrual cycle. The goal of the study was to determine whether cardiovascular responses to caffeine occur after puberty and if they differ across phases of the menstrual cycle.

"We found an interaction between gender and caffeine dose, with boys having a greater response to caffeine than girls, as well as interactions between pubertal phase, gender and caffeine dose, with gender differences present in post-pubertal, but not in pre-pubertal, participants.," said Dr. Temple in a news release.

The researchers also found differences in various stages of the menstrual cycle, including greater decreases in the heart rate during the mid-luteal phase as well as greater blood pressure increases during the mid-follicular phase.

They arrived at their results after examining heart rates and blood pressure before giving pre-pubertal boys and girls (ages 8-9) and post-pubertal boys and girls (ages 15-17) a placebo and two doses of caffeine. Further research aims to focus on the extent of which gender differences are mediated by physiological factors as well as differences in caffeine consumption.

The research was funded by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health, and the authors hope they'll receive funding to further these studies.